If you could be Carl Roe for a day?

[MD Lease]

If you could become Executive Director of the Pa Game Commission for a day, what would you change? I think most of us would agree the whole doe situation but other than that what would it be? For me personally it would be to be able to hunt on Sundays and to extend the archery season all the way up to the rifle season. What would YOU change?

[Bowtechian]

About the doe situation: The PGC at least realized that you can't have a state wide policy in effect when some areas have much more hunting preasure than others. It caused deer numbers in some places to go well below the carrying capacity of the land. It certainly isn't going to be a quick fix, but tweaking the number of available tags from year to year & season length is probably the best fix to get the deer population back.

Sunday hunting: From what I've heard, a lot of farmers who have their land open for hunting would post their property. If you think public land hunting is crowded now, just wait until the people who lost their private property hunting join you.

Archery season: I'm right with you on the subject of a longer early season. It seems like every year I see more rutting activity the week after the season closes. I can't remember the last time it's been cold enough during early archery to have all day deer movement.

[MD Lease]

Tell me how many landowners have told you they will post their property if they legalize Sunday hunting? Everybody says the exact same thing you say but nobody can back theirs up with proof. Look at the 43 states that have Sunday hunting and tell me it isn't a good thing. And if the farmers do post their property then go door to door until you find a piece of property to hunt. We all say we should get our kids into hunting because the hunting population is down. Well kids have school 5 days a week, not to mention any extracurricular activities they may have after school. That leaves one day to hunt. Also guys like me who work 5 days a week and only get to hunt on Saturdays. That leaves me with only 6 Saturdays during bow season to hunt! Why not make it legal to hunt on Sunday, that way the majority of the population can have two days to hunt in the week.

[Bowtechian]

You're preaching to the choir about having one day a week to hunt. If you have a bad weather day that's not fit to be out in, there goes an entire week of a six week season. I've heard the Sunday hunting issue with land owners right from the PGC. Maybe they aren't being totally honest who they are getting the negative feedback from, but every time it's voted on it's shot down. Believe me, I'd like to have the option to hunt on Sunday as much as you, but both states that I hunt in don't allow it.(PA/VA)

[danesdad]

Doe populations are controlled by the number of tags issued. Shortening the season ,as they did on some WMUs, is just a facade. When the season is shortened, it LOOKS like the PGC is trying to reduce the kill but all that happens is hunter effort is concentrated into a shorter time span. This move is all about IMAGE and not about results. You wanna reduce the doe kill? Issue fewer tags! It aint rocket science!

Sunday hunting?-I'm all for it. But I dont own any land. If I did, I doubt sunday hunting would inspire me to post it.

Lengthen archery season? - definitely. Or, they could start it a week later (and give that first week to the muzzleloader guys) and end it a week later.

I also believe that there should be a pheasant stamp.

[Everyday Hunter]

ORIGINAL: danesdad

Doe populations are controlled by the number of tags issued. Shortening the season ,as they did on some WMUs, is just a facade. When the season is shortened, it LOOKS like the PGC is trying to reduce the kill but all that happens is hunter effort is concentrated into a shorter time span. This move is all about IMAGE and not about results. You wanna reduce the doe kill? Issue fewer tags! It aint rocket science!

Isn't that what happened for 2010-1011? 19 WMUs have fewer tags, 2 have the same as last year, and 1 has an increase.

ORIGINAL: danesdad

Sunday hunting?-I'm all for it. But I dont own any land. If I did, I doubt sunday hunting would inspire me to post it.

I really don't have a dog in the Sunday hunting fight. If it happens, that's OK with me. If it doesn't, that's OK too. I won't fight for it or against it.

ORIGINAL: danesdad

Lengthen archery season? - definitely. Or, they could start it a week later (and give that first week to the muzzleloader guys) and end it a week later.

I would support an archery season that goes right up to firearms season, or at least to the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It wasn't many years ago that the PGC gave archery hunters a longer season. I don't know why it can't be even longer.

ORIGINAL: danesdad

I also believe that there should be a pheasant stamp.

There will probably be a turkey stamp before there's a pheasant stamp. But, where will it end? A grouse/woodcock stamp? A predator stamp?

Why not have a voluntary stamp for pheasants, turkeys, grouse, rabbits, etc., with the money going directly into habitat improvement? Many hunters would support their own interests, even if it wasn't required. (It would be better than checking a box on your income tax to help fund elections.)

Steve

Forgot to add -- being Carl Roe for a day wouldn't do anything. He doesn't have a dictatorship, and the process to change anything takes far longer than a day. But -- we can dream!

[ajkrem22]

For everyone that says landowners will post there property if we allow Sunday hunting I have this to say. Most of these landowers allow hunting because they they use hunters to keep deer herds at reasonable numbers as we are there main predator. Why for one minute would anyone think they would just up and stop all hunting because now you can hunt on Sunday. Who will keep the herd in check. They might post there property at first but will see the error of there way and open it back up to hunting once the deer population explodes.

If I was able to be dictator of the PA Game Commision for one day I would change many things.

1) Definitly allow Sunday hunting. I too only have one day a week to hunt and would love more (although my fiancee likes it because she actually gets to see me on the weekend)

2) Reduce doe allocations in WMU that have been decimated.

3) Extend archery season.

4) Increase # of pheasants released in all gamelands

5) Work my **** off to get more funding for habitat enhancement for all speciese throughout PA.

[Everyday Hunter]

ORIGINAL: ajkrem22

4) Increase # of pheasants released in all gamelands[color="#990000"] that have quality pheasant habitat[/color].

There. Fixed it for ya'. What would be the point of releasing pheasants where there is no pheasant habitat?

Steve

[danesdad]

A pheasant stamp makes more sense than a turkey stamp because turkies are self propagating and pheasants are not. Plus, pheasants cost a lot to raise and stock (which comes from all hunters license dollars) and are hunted by a specific subset of hunters. Those hunters should pay the freight, much like trout fisherman support their type of fishing with the trout stamp.

[ajkrem22]

Everday Hunter

Thats why I put in "increase funding for habitat enhancements"

I used to do a fair amount of pheasant hunting and the only time you would see birds is when the pheasant truck had delivered recently. I would love to see a wild pheasant population but there is no way that will happen until some of these coyotes are killed and they actually create habitat that will hold these birds. I probably shouldn't hold my breath as I am sure that will never happen in PA. Very unhappy with the way they handle our natural resources.